*Warning — spoilers ahead for Wednesday, January 4 episode of EastEnders, which is now available on iPlayer*
Ricky Mitchell is in the middle of a huge EastEnders storyline after it was revealed that he is the father of Lily Slater's baby. The pair are about to find themselves at the centre of a Walford storm when the truth is exposed because this is no normal soap pregnancy storyline due to the fact the parents are both just 12 years old.
The plot twist came as a shock at New Year when the Slater family ended up in hospital following a carbon monoxide leak at their home. But while everyone was thankfully okay, doctors discovered Lily was pregnant after doing a routine ultrasound and an investigation into what happened was launched.
Eventually, Stacey managed to coax out of her daughter who the father was, fearing that Lily might have been groomed. But soon Lily admitted the father of her baby was Ricky Mitchell... aka Ricky Jr.
But who is Walford's Ricky Jr and who plays him? Here is everything you need to know about the character...
Who is Ricky Jr in EastEnders?
Richard ‘Ricky’ Mitchell is Sam Mitchell (Kim Medcalf) and Jack Branning's (Scott Maslen) son. He was born back in 2010 when Sam was in a relationship with Ricky Butcher, but secretly having an affair with Jack.
Sam has never been a good mum to Ricky, almost giving him up for adoption at birth and only keeping him because her mum, Peggy Mitchell, persuaded her to.
When Ricky Jr was a baby, Sam went to live with her older brother Grant in Portugal and changed Ricky’s name back to Mitchell, however, when she returned to the Square for Peggy's funeral in 2016 she decided that she couldn't face being a mum any longer and left Ricky in Walford with Jack, who has been raising him ever since.
Ricky now lives with Jack, his step-mum Denise, and his half-sister Amy Mitchell. Sam returned to Walford earlier this year, and since then the estranged mother and son have slowly formed a relationship, however, things are still strained between them thanks to Sam's lack of warmth and commitment towards her boy.
Although Ricky's full name is Ricky Mitchell, he is also known as Ricky Jr... a name that people on the Square have given him to avoid confusion after Ricky Butcher, played by Sid Owen, returned to Walford at the end of 2022.
How old is Ricky Jr in EastEnders?
Ricky was born on September 1 2010, making him just 12 years old.
He currently goes to school with Lily, and the pair are friends with other Walford pre-teens such as Davinder 'Nugget' Gulati, Amy Mitchell and Denzel Danes.
Who plays Ricky Jr in EastEnders?
Ricky Jr is currently played by Frankie Day, after the young actor took over from Henri Charles in August 2018.
EastEnders airs Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings at 7.30 pm on BBC One — see our TV Guide for full listings. You can also catch up on episodes on BBC iPlayer now.
